Second-Half Surge Lifts Cobbers Past Oles, 74–59

MOORHEAD, Minn. (2/18/26) — A dominant second-half performance and a monster night from Jacob Cook powered Concordia to a 74–59 win over St. Olaf, as the Cobbers erased a halftime deficit and controlled the paint to secure the victory. The Cobbers move 18-6 on the season and 10-5 in conference play. 

Concordia set the tone from the opening tip, as Jackson Loge scored the first bucket and Cook followed with early finishes inside to spark a 10–5 start. The Cobbers' defensive pressure forced consecutive St. Olaf turnovers, allowing them to control the tempo in the opening minutes.

St. Olaf answered with a surge from beyond the arc, knocking down a second-chance three and a pair of triples during a key stretch to turn a tie game into a nine-point advantage. Even as the Oles found their rhythm from deep, Cook kept Concordia within striking distance, battling through contact for an and-one and securing key defensive rebounds. Peyton Belka buried a momentum-shifting three, and Loge brought the crowd to its feet with a two-handed dunk. A late transition finish by Payton Schell trimmed the deficit to 31–25 at halftime.

The Cobbers wasted no time flipping the momentum after the break. Belka drilled a three on the opening possession, Cook followed with a layup, and moments later Belka tied the game with another triple off a steal. After St. Olaf briefly regained the lead with a three of its own, Cook answered from deep, and Concordia began to assert itself on the glass. Loge's second-chance tip-in gave the Cobbers their first lead of the half at 42–40 — one they would not surrender.

From there, Concordia controlled every phase. Cook dominated the paint, finishing through contact and converting at the free-throw line, while Schell's relentless work on the offensive boards extended possessions. Cole Holzer and Justin Courneya provided timely scoring as the Cobbers steadily built separation.

The turning point came midway through the half when back-to-back defensive stops ignited Concordia's transition game. A string of free throws by Cook pushed the lead into double figures, and Holzer's layup stretched the margin to 12. Leading 70–55 with just over two minutes remaining, the Cobbers calmly weathered a brief St. Olaf push. After an Ole basket cut the lead to 13, Schell answered with another put-back to restore a 15-point cushion.

On the defensive end, Cook capped his dominant performance with a late block that halted another St. Olaf opportunity. Courneya then sliced through the lane for a transition layup to make it 74–57 in the final minute. A late Ole dunk did little to change the outcome, as Concordia's defense closed strong to secure the 74–59 victory.

The Cobbers shot 50% (29-of-58) from the field and 35.7% (5-of-14) from 3-point range, outshooting the Oles in both categories. Cook led the way with 27 points, 18 rebounds, and five assists. Loge added 15 points and seven rebounds, while Belka finished with 14 points. Concordia dominated the paint, outscoring St. Olaf 48–20 inside, and pulled away in the second half by a 49–28 margin to seal the win.

Concordia returns to play February 21st for their last regular season game against St. Scholastica